DARMSTADT, Germany– Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the appointment of David Weinreich, M.D., MBA, as Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer for its Healthcare business sector.
Weinreich is a veteran biopharma leader with more than 20 years of experience in drug development, having successfully led the approval of 15 therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. He has also founded companies, served as a venture capitalist, and held senior leadership roles at Regeneron, Bayer, and Amgen. Most recently, he was an Operating Partner and Senior Advisor at Foresite Labs & Foresite Capital Management LLC.
“Scientific innovation is the engine that drives everything we do to transform patient care,” said Danny Bar Zohar, M.D., Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Healthcare. “In David, we have a leader with a unique combination of deep scientific expertise, immense experience in drug development and successfully bringing drugs to the finish line, and global perspective—along with the clarity and boldness to shape a next-generation R&D strategy. His appointment marks an exciting step forward as we work to bring more medicines to more patients, faster.”
As Global Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer, Weinreich will oversee Research and Development, including Medical Affairs, for Merck’s Healthcare business sector. He has a track record of advancing both early- and late-stage programs, guiding multiple therapies to approval, and managing large, complex pipelines and global R&D teams.
“Joining Merck at such a pivotal moment in its growth journey offers a rare opportunity to lead scientific innovation with the potential to have a profound impact on patients’ lives,” said Dr. Weinreich. “This is an organization with a strong legacy, deep scientific capabilities, and a clear commitment to delivering meaningful value where it’s needed most. I look forward to working with teams around the world to advance a clear R&D strategy grounded in urgency, collaboration, and purpose.”
